You Belong With Me
by Touch of Grey
Summary: AU Songfic with a chewy Kon/Tim center! And that is the best summary I can come up with right now.


They'd been neighbors since birth, childhood friends, BF's for life. Their bedroom windows faced each other, and they would sometimes spend ages just communicating by sign and making each other laugh. Then high school hit them like a truck, and brainy Tim Drake ended up in the geek set while tank-like Konner Kent easily made quarterback for the football team and became an official Jock.

But it's not like social status ever stopped them from hanging out. No, the barrier that went up between them had a name; Cheer Captain and all around blonde bombshell , Cassie Sandsmark.

_You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset  
She's going off about something that you said  
'Cause she doesn't get your humor like I do_

Watching Kon tear at his hair through the window was close to unbearable. Cassie was probably tearing into him about their lunchtime antics. What was her problem, anyway? Video game jokes, especially ones about tanks, are _hilarious_. Grabbing his trusty sketch pad, Tim scribbled out a quick note, just as Kon shut his cell phone, tossing it onto his bed.

'**Cassie again? D:**'

Kon looked out his window and grinned, pulling out a pad of paper and a sharpie, uncapping it with his teeth.

'**You know it. Why do chicks have to be so uncool about guy stuff? They're so self-absorbed :(**'

_I'm in the room, it's a typical Tuesday night  
I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like  
And she'll never know your story like I do_

Tim laughed, nodding rapidly. Then he jerked his head at his stereo. It was blasting out a Beatles compilation tape that Kon had gotten him for Christmas. And by tape, he really meant _tape_. Tech snob though he may be, Tim had lowered himself to actually using the cassette feature on his system once he saw just how hard Kon had worked to get the tape by Christmas Eve. It was a grand gesture of friendship on both their parts, though it had lead Kon to give him all sorts of tapes, for birthdays, for holidays, and sometimes for no reason at all.

'**Hey, put in our mix tape. I challenge you to a dance off!**'

Kon chuckled, shaking his head.

'**Sorry, bro. Gotta study. Dad is not going to let another D in math slide. Help a poor, dumb jock study? ;-;**'

'**Be right over, man.**'

***

For the next few hours, it was just like old times. They joked around, told embarrassing locker room stories, and studied a little bit, too. Around midnight, Tim finally looked at his watch.

"Damn! Uh, wow. Time really got away from us, huh?" Kon laughed.

"I am so going to flunk this test, I just know it." Tim ran his fingers through his hair, thinking.

"You can cheat off me, but just this once. And be sure to get a few of the harder questions wrong, just to make it look real. Because next time, I am going to make you _eat_ this math book and learn the answers through osmosis." They stared at eat other a second, before bursting into snorts of muffled laughter. Rubbing his eye with the heel of his hand, Kon grinned and seized Tim in a fierce, friendly hug.

"You're my savior, dude. Anytime you need anything _ever_, just know that I've got your back. Erm, unless it involves math." Tim had stiffened up initially, but warmed a bit once he realized that Kon wasn't letting go until he hugged back. He wrapped his arms around his best friend's wide back and squeezed. When had Kon gotten so broad? It must have been all the football taking its toll. He definitely looked like a football player, broad and muscular as he was. Tim felt tiny in comparison.

All of a sudden, Kon released his embrace, clapping a large hand on Tim's shoulder.

"Mom made brownies earlier. Bring them home with you, and your dad won't have a reason to complain about you being over here so late." He winked at him, and Tim grinned. There was no need to feel intimidated. This was Kon, for heaven's sake! He'd never do anything to hurt him. Well, aside from that one main thing that both hurt and annoyed the hell out of him, but being someone's best friend doesn't give a person the right to tell their friend who to date.

"Yeah, good point. You cram some more before you go to sleep, though. It'll make me feel better about letting you cheat. And I'll _know _if you were really studying, Kent." He jerked his thumb at the window, and they both grinned.

"Night, Kon."

"Stay groovy, Tim." Tim stuck out his tongue.

"Nerd."

"Look who's talking!" They laughed a final time, and Tim crossed their yards, brownies in hand, and entered his own home.

_But she wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts  
She's Cheer Captain and I'm on the bleachers  
Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find  
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time_ _If you could see that I'm the one who understands you  
Been here all along, so why can't you see?  
You, you belong with me, you belong with me_

***

Kon passed the test, barely, which meant three things:

His parents would have no problem with him wanting to hang out with Tim all weekend.

His other friends would want to practice for whatever sport they would be doing next, after football season ended, of course, all weekend.

Cassie would want him to be with her all weekend.

With three sets of people all vying for Kon's attention, it would be a bit of a challenge to secure his best friend for a full two days, but Tim had known Kon long enough to know exactly how dirty to play.

"Hey, I've got the new Guitar Hero expansion pack, the seventh season of Family Guy on DVD, and three different kinds of snack cakes." From the looks on the faces of Cassie and the other jocks at their lunch table, Tim had obviously struck the first blow. Kon's grin was a mile wide.

"I'm so there! Also, the second season of Gargoyles came in the mail yesterday. Is that not rad?"

Tim smiled. Kon's 'slang of many eras' was one of the things that made him so much fun to be with. "Oh, it is so rad. Groovy, even." Kon laughed, shoving him playfully. Cassie cleared her throat.

"So, I guess you'll be too busy geeking out all weekend to help me look for a Homecoming dress, huh, Kon?" The table went silent, the ice in her tone freezing all the other conversations completely. Kon went a bit red around the ears, and his eyes seemed to offer a silent apology to all his male friends.

"I sorta forgot about that, Cass, but, isn't that a girl thing?" Still glaring at him, Cassie snorted.

"Fine, I'll go with Cissie and Greta. But don't think you're off the hook, buddy." With that, she stood and huffed off. Kon scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry about that, guys. Chicks, huh? Can't live with 'em…" He trailed off, and the others at the table nodded before settling back into their lunches. Tim smiled to himself. An entire weekend of just him and Kon, what more could he ask for in life?

***

_Walking the streets with you and your worn-out jeans  
I can't help thinking this is how it ought to be  
Laughing on a park bench, thinking to myself  
Hey, isn't this easy?_

It had been a quick trip to Gamestop, just to pick up a new controller for the PS3 to replace the one Kon had accidentally demolished during a victory dance. The sky had been clear enough on the walk over, but it was starting to look threatening.

"Do you think we should try and catch a bus?" Tim shook his head.

"The next one takes longer to get here than it would to just walk home. If it starts to rain, we'll just get wet. It's not like we'll melt." So walk they did, for all of five minutes. And then the sky opened up above them.

"Wet I can handle, Tim! I'm soaked down to my boxers, here!" Tim was mildly glad that they were running. He could use that to disguise his blush as a heat flush. "Hey, are you okay, man? You're all flushed. Wait, c'mere." Kon grabbed him around the shoulders and pulled him close. "I'm bigger than you. I can take the rain hitting me. Just stick close and you won't get wet anymore."

And so they walked the last few blocks, Kon's arm wrapped around Tim's shoulders, trying his best to shield his friend from the rain. When they finally reached Tim's house, Kon smiled.

"See? That wasn't completely horrible."

_And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town  
I haven't seen it in a while since she brought you down  
You say you're fine, I know you better than that  
Hey, what ya doing with a girl like that?_

As they dried off, Tim decided to broach a subject that they'd been dancing around for months.

"So how did you end up with Cassie, anyway? You two have nothing in common. And half the time, you seem like you don't even like each other." Kon sighed, raking both hands through his hair.

"It's a clique pairing off type of thing. The group you usually hang out with isn't like that. Nobody sees the need to hook up within your group. My group does. And I'd always end up with Cassie, so after awhile, people started assuming that we were dating, so we just sort of, well, started dating. I don't really like her that much, but it's either her or nothing." Tim's expression was slightly pained.

"Kon, if you don't want to be with her, then don't be with her. You don't have to do everything that your group does. If you don't want to be in a relationship, then don't be in one."

"But I do want to be in one!" Kon insisted, then flushed. "Just, not with Cassie. But enough about my relationships. You haven't gone out with anyone since Steph. How's she doing, anyway?" Tim looked down, going slightly red.

"Um, she's a lesbian…" Kon's eyebrows shot to his hairline. "Yeah, that's exactly what I said when she told me. Oh, but you haven't heard the best part! Apparently she made out with Cassandra Cain at a party, then decided she'd rather continue seeing her because she's a better kisser." Kon winced.

"Jeez, man. I'm sorry. That has to be pretty traumatizing. Have you even thought about asking someone else out since she dropped that bombshell?" Tim glanced away from him.

"Ah, just this one person, but they're taken and even if they were single, they'd have no interest in me."

"How do you know?" The smaller boy sighed.

"I just know. Now c'mon, it's not like Halo 3 is going to play itself." Deciding to let the subject drop, Kon unwrapped the extra controller and settled next to Tim on his bed. A fun weekend together full of things never said was better than any of the other options they had.

***

_She wears high heels, I wear sneakers  
She's Cheer Captain and I'm on the bleachers  
Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find  
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time  
If you could see that I'm the one who understands you  
Been here all along, so why can't you see?  
You belong with me_ _Standing by and waiting at your back door  
All this time how could you not know?  
Baby, you belong with me, you belong with me_

Despite being tackled more times than Tim cared to remember, Kon led their team to victory at the Homecoming football game. And of course, the big football star would be attending the Homecoming dance later that evening with the peppiest cheerleader of them all. That was the main reason that Tim had decided to stay home. As Kon got ready for the dance, Tim put on a Linkin Park CD and prepared to spend the evening sulking. Then he caught the reflection of Kon waving at him in his mirror.

'**You going tonight or what?**' Tim laughed bitterly, not that Kon could hear.

'**You couldn't pay me enough to go.**' Kon's face fell, and he scribbled a hasty reply.

'**Oh, great. So I'm going to be stuck with girlfriendzilla all night without any comedic relief? Thanks a ton, man. D:**' Tim felt his heart seize up in his chest. That message coupled with Kon's expression almost made him want to pull out the tux he's worn to his cousin's wedding and go to the stupid dance. Almost.

'**Going stag isn't as hip today as it was twenty years ago, Kon. I'd just be that loser that's riding the great Kon Kent's coattails.**' Kon raised his eyebrows in an ironic way.

'**No, you'd be that brilliant nerd that made the great Kon Kent study for the test that would enable him to play today.**' Tim tilted his head slightly.

'**I thought you cheated off me?**' Kon's grin was nothing less than ecstatic.

'**If I had gotten caught, I'd have gotten you into some serious trouble. So I just studied harder than I ever have in my life, and passed by the skin of my teeth. I could never do anything to get you into trouble, Tim. You're my bff.**' Tim blushed, and began to write something back. But when he looked up, Kon was gone. Then he heard the car in Kon's driveway roar to life as he drove off. Tim sighed, looking down at the reply he'd written.

'**I love you, Kon.**'

Out of the corner of his eye, Tim spotted the sleeve of his tux, which had been hung on the back of his closet. It was just the cosmic sign he needed.

_Oh, I remember you walking to my house in the middle of the night  
I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you're 'bout to cry  
And I know your favorite songs and you tell me 'bout your dreams  
Think I know where you belong, think I know it's with me_

***

The gym was packed with people Tim knew, most of whom seemed surprised to see him there. No, that wasn't true. They were surprised to see him there in something other than jeans and a gaming t-shirt, with brushed hair and no headphones around his neck. One of his friends from film class, Eddie Bloomberg, ran up to him.

"Wow, Tim! I didn't know you could-"

"Yes, yes, I know. Be out in public looking like anything other than a gamer. It's a regular Cinderella transformation. Have you seen Kon?"

"Uh, you may not want to go talk to him just now. Cassie dumped him in front of all his friends, because he spends more time with you than he does with her." Tim's eyes widened.

"Eddie, where did he go?" Eddie shrugged.

"Home, I thi- hey, where are you going? Tim? Tim!"

But he was already off and running. Cassie dumped Kon. Kon wasn't with Cassie anymore. Kon was single. And rather than stay at the dance with his other friends and the dozens of girls that would swarm all over him now that he was a free agent, he went home.

By the time he got within sight of his house, Tim was nearly out of breath. He'd run all the way from the gym to Kon's front door without even realizing it.

"Tim?"

But Kon wasn't in his house. He was sitting on Tim's front steps, still dressed in his tuxedo.

Kon was single now. And instead of staying at the dance with his other friends and the dozens of girls that wanted him for their own, he'd gone home.

To him.

Tim's knees buckled, and Kon caught him by the shoulders. "Tim, are you okay?"

"…I heard about you and Cassie." Kon's face lit up.

"Isn't it great? I mean, it was kind of embarrassing that she did it in front of all the guys but honestly, I'm glad she did it. Beat me to the punch, anyway." Tim blinked.

"Wha?"

"Yeah, you see, after we talked last weekend, I realized that I don't love Cassie. I don't even like Cassie, in a romantic way. But, I do want to be with someone. And all I really needed to do was man up and ask if, well, if he wants to be with me too."

_Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you?  
Been here all along, so why can't you see?  
You belong with me  
Have you ever thought just maybe  
You belong with me?_

Tim's eyes widened, and he quickly glanced down.

"Does, does this person you want to be with have a name?" Kon laughed.

"Tim, come on now. You're the smartest person I know. Don't dumb out on me now." Tim looked up into Kon's eyes, his expression serious.

"Kon, if we get together, you're not getting rid of me anytime soon. Do you really want that?"

Leaning down, Kon pressed his forehead to Tim's.

"More than anything in the world."

Tim tilted his head up, pressing their lips together gently.

"Me too." Kon pulled back a few seconds later excitedly.

"I just remembered something! Go up to your room and stand by the window!" Puzzled, Tim unlocked his front door and went upstairs. By the time he got there, Kon was already rushing around his own room, searching for something. He finally seemed to find it in a flat tin box. It looked like part of a computer game box. And it was, the box for the original Halo game, in fact. The he turned it over.

'**I love you, Tim**'

Tim's eyes widened. That game was eight years old! And Kon had had his copy for the last six years, since Tima had given it to him. So that meant…

'**Why didn't you say so earlier?**' Kon looked away.

'**I was too scared to.**' Tim flipped back to an earlier page on his sketch pad, then made an addition.

**too**

'**I love you,^Kon.**' The grin that spread across Kon's face was nothing short of brilliant. He scribbled something down quickly, his grin slowly becoming teasing.

'**Does that mean we get to hold hands in the caf and make Cassie uncomfortable?**' Tim laughed.

'**You bet your ass we can.**' As if seeming to realize something, Kon began to write like a man possessed.

'**Want to come over? My folks are at some writer's conference. I was going to have a homecoming party, but I can think of better uses for an empty house, can't you?**' He raised his eyebrows in an inviting way, and Tim laughed.

'**I'll be right over.**'

_You belong with me._

Fini

Have you ever heard a song and immediately thought, I'm going to write slash fanfic for this song? That was 'You Belong With Me'. From the first time I heard it, I thought Cassie/Kon/Tim. I skipped some lines, but that was just because they were repetitive. As a tribute to my love of Red Devil, Eddie got a cameo in this AU "Forever High School" timeline I've made. Zat was somewhere around there, probably raiding the snack table. Also, sorry to any fans of Cassie, but I had to have a bad guy, so I turned her into the personification of every snobby popular cheerleader that has ever existed in a movie about high school life. I wouldn't know. My high school didn't really have a cheerleading squad. We had a step team. Also, I'm not sure if the game before Homecoming has a specific name, or if it marks the beginning or end of the football season. I was too busy reading comic books and writing fanfic throughout high school to do any school-related stuff. Anyway, if you liked the story, drop me a review. Or better yet, go read some of my other fics. If you didn't like the story, well, sorry. I didn't make you read it, though. It's your own fault. Go take a time out.

Have a great night!


End file.
